5 Reasons You Want to Live in Saratoga Springs, Utah

Saratoga Springs, Utah, incorporated as a city only twenty years ago, is growing faster than ever before. HomeSnacks ranked Saratoga Springs as the No. 1 fastest-growing city in Utah.

Here are 5 reasons you want to live here.

1. VIEWS

Located north and west of Utah Lake, Saratoga Springs is a unique city, with insane views of Utah Lake and gorgeous Mount Timpanogos across the lake.

Photography by Niki Martins of Saratoga Springs, Utah

We have lived here for over eight years, and these views never cease to take my breath away. We love to have company over for a BBQ or to sit around the fire, enjoying the views. Just come see. Seriously. Come see. I know we don’t look like much from over there, but once you’re on the west side of Utah Lake, you’ll see it.

Photography by Niki Martins

2. RECREATION

Easy access to Utah Lake for boating, fishing, SUP (stand up paddle boarding), canoeing, and ice-fishing (that one is for my neighbor, Scott) makes it convenient and incredibly fun to live here. The public Marina, located in the south end of Saratoga Springs, is getting an overhaul at the moment. They are dredging it to clean it up and make it deeper.

Friends on the Lake. No fun at all.

If you are a runner, hiker, or ATV/UTV kind of person…we have it all. Access to Israel Canyon is easily obtained at the top of Stillwater Drive.

We love to use the nearby Jordan River Trail. You can park near Inlet Park, and jump on the trail! Paved trails follow Redwood Road through the south area of our city, used by many for running or biking with kids.

My little fam, ready to ride on the Jordan River Trail

3. IMPROVED ROADS

About a decade ago, residents were throwing parties because we finally had a stoplight by the Smith’s.

We deal with a bit of traffic every morning and evening with the weekday commute on Redwood Road. We have tried to patiently wait for some changes to come. Okay, maybe we haven’t been THAT patient.

AFTER many-a-public-outcry, UDOT listened. UDOT is gearing up to build wider and smarter roads, so we won’t have to endure the extra twenty minutes of the one-lane of parking-lot-esque commuting on Redwood Road, hopefully in the near future. We are all grateful that our community is finally getting what we have needed for years.

“As the City’s population grows, there are additional planned arterial roads that will assist the region to keep up with the traffic demands of large populations. There is an additional north-south arterial roadway west of Redwood Road that is planned to carry traffic out of the foothills and north to I-15. There are three planned east-west arterial and collector roads that will also connect with I-15 and should assist traffic getting through the City to I-15 to the east.” – Saratoga Springs City Website

4. PROPERTY VALUES ARE GOING UP

Homes in Saratoga Springs are selling for 4.23% more this quarter than they did in the 1st quarter of 2016. The median sales price in the 1st quarter of 2016 was $324,200. The median sales price in 2017’s 1st quarter was $337,900. (Source: Wasatch Front Regional Multiple Listing Service).

Saratoga Springs’ growth is in such a wide array of areas: businesses, developments, parks, and much more. Take a drive out here to see for yourself. Property is a hot commodity at the moment. The secret is out, and people are moving here for a variety of reasons, but there is a lack of inventory at any given moment. You may see that there are around 100 homes on the market, and think I’m crazy. (About half of those listed are new construction). Schedule to view about 5 of them this weekend. You’ll wind up seeing only 1 or 2, as the others might be under contract by then. The good news for those who are a bit too picky for this fast-paced market: we have several new developments here if you want to build a home.

5. THE PEOPLE

Don’t be looking at the tears in my eyes as I get a bit sappy. Geez! I can’t even begin to describe how wonderful the people are in Saratoga Springs. They are hidden gems. Quiet, everyday people, who love each other and serve without need of praise or reward. We had the help of several neighbors, day after day, as we put in our yard. We have seen, over and over again, the love and kindness of these wonderful people.

Here are just a few of the good guys… and this event below is just one illustration of what our neighbors do for one another.

Volunteers after the flooding in 2012.

Kids from our neighborhood, thanking all who helped with the clean up efforts in 2012.

We have been through a lot more together in this new city than you might expect. In 2012, we had a horrific fire in the hills to the west of the Jacobs Ranch area. Soon after that, we had a storm that caused a massive amount of water and debris to come down the mountain, ripping through our neighborhood. (Don’t let this scare you, there have been remedies put into place that will prevent this from happening again.) Video compiled by Thomas Erickson, who is one of the reasons our city is as strong as it is.

The reason I share this with you is to give you a glimpse of how a community pulls together in the face of extremely scary situations. Miraculously, the hail stones chased kids indoors to watch out the windows from the safety of their homes. Almost a dozen homes’ basements filled up with mud and debris, but nobody was trapped or hurt. I still think about this with awe. Thousands of volunteers and donated supplies, equipment, food, love and hugs were shared over the months that followed. For those of us who were able to pitch in and help, we will be forever strengthened by the experience.

One thing that sets us apart from other cities: our grit. We stick together. We are there for one another.

You can’t place a limit on people like that. Bring on the growth.

Saratoga Springs is ready for you.

Written by Heather Johnson, resident of Saratoga Springs, Utah, and Realtor with Better Homes and Gardens – Influence Partners in Pleasant Grove.